AUSTIN, Texas — At the Texas State Capitol, lottery officials faced an onslaught of questions amid controversies.
On Monday, the Senate Committee on State Affairs met to discuss Senate Bill 28 to ban lottery courier services like Jackpocket, which have operated in Texas since 2016.
The discussion comes as the state’s lottery commission announced its plans to do the same as lawmakers push to change what they’re calling an unregulated service.
Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) said lottery courier services have long been a concern before questions rose about the legitimacy of an $83 million jackpot in Austin.
Following the win, Gov. Greg Abbott called on the Texas Rangers to investigate the $83.5 million jackpot along with a $95 million lottery win from 2023 claimed in North Texas.
The winning ticket was sold at Winners Corner in North Austin through the courier app Jackpocket, both of which are owned by DraftKings. Lawmakers argue using a courier makes it impossible to verify if a buyer can legally play the lottery.
“We have this incredible corruption that has been in there, that has benefited folks with winnings that they should have never gotten,” Hall said. “If we cannot control that, how in the world do we think we’re going to be able to manage sports betting and casinos throughout Texas?”
Senate Bill 28 would ban the sale of lottery tickets through third-party services either over the phone or digitally. It would also require the lottery commission to adopt rules to enforce the prohibitions. Hall said for years they’ve asked the lottery commission to regulate couriers with no results.
Hall said he’s confident he’ll have support to pass the bill this session. Last legislative session, the Texas Senate approved a bill to ban the services before it died in the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, Texas Lottery commissioner Clark Smith resigned last week after being appointed by Abbott in November 2023. Smith, an Austin-based attorney, previously served as general counsel for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.